Road To The Mastery Of The Craft.

August 30, 2016August 30, 2016

Evolution

Dear World

Please Kill Me,

Welcome to the Thunderdome, my Tuesday tyrants (slowly dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight #JackNicholson #1989Batman). As always – if you’ve made it back to me in one piece – it means you have yet to feel the slow-release of the reaper. (I know, I know – it’s painfully poetic and tempting – but trust me it’s just because I’m awesome – keep breathing). Glad to have you back – now let’s get to the money shot.

Evolution – ( “Fighting Catholicism since the Scopes Trial”) , a necessary, yet important part of – not just a writer’s career- but life in general. As most of us know, (I believe my fan base varies from about 14 to 60- something) life comes with changes. Though we may not always agree with or be happy with this change – it is an undeniably (and ironically) stable part of existence. It can close a door and open a window. It can break a heart or mend one. It can third analogy or fourth analogy. The fact is, we should be open to it.

Now, I didn’t mean to repeat what most of us know, but that groundwork is imperative for my next few statements. When pertaining to writing – if you are not evolving, then you’re falling behind. It’s a sad truth, but a truth none the less. It’s the difference between authors that you love and author’s that are beloved. That isn’t to say that genius can’t be progressive in a linear state. But it is to warn against excessive repetition and intellectual constipation. Don’t get me wrong, there is an audience for those who tell the same story over and over again (i.e. The Bourne Series, Grisham novels,

Don’t get me wrong, there is an audience for those who tell the same story over and over again (i.e. The Bourne Series, Grisham novels, most rappers, etc.) , but they’re only a lucky few that can successfully hold down a career while doing so. More often than not their audiences are built in and fail to expand. (Meaning that their career is over- once their audience loses interest.)

The evolving author can build a career that stretches into -not only various genres and topics- but also into other mediums. Though some may see this as selling out – if we look at if from the point of accessibility and profit (which you should), this is the most successful and efficient way to go about things.

*Sidenote – I hope that it’s apparent that -before attempting this- you should already be somewhat fluent in your chosen craft. If you’re an aspiring baseball player – playing pick-up basketball won’t help you- because you won’t know how to properly apply the tools that you’ve acquired. Master one, then build on it. No one praises the universally mediocre. (Sorry)*

Think of it like this – if you allow your talents to evolve (as well as your own insight and knowledge), you open your mind (and more importantly your voice) to the ever multiplying eyes and ears. By having a varied catalog, you do this as well with the audiences that you (are able to) attract. So essentially, what you’ll be doing is creating a following with a desire to do, know, and experience an infinite amount of things, while simultaneously keeping your art open to new ideas. (No one likes being put in a box. Pigeonholing yourself can stifle creativity and kill your drive.)

I get it. You’re asking “but why, Mr. Writer Man? ” Well, I’ll tell you ya’- you little scamp. As writers, our job first and foremost is to spread information -through stories or otherwise. Despite how we do this, it should be what we strive for. By copying ourselves – and thereby repeating the same information (even though it is in our own unique way), we are doing ourselves and our readers a disservice.

They come to us for expansion (mental, emotional, intellectual, etc) – it’s our job to deliver on that, not to selfishly (and lazily) -double down on our own iterations. To avoid being that douche-bucket- we must evolve. It’s an essential part of being a writer, and even more so in being human.